Driving down the 22A in Vermont, cell phone service goes in and out cows and farms are more plentiful than people. It's not uncommon to get stuck behind a tractor or two driving down the road. Benson, Vermont barely a blip on a map just north of Fair Haven, Vermont is probably best known for maple syrup, and dairy farming. Just past the sign for the town of Benson a large obstacle towers over the corner of a hay field with a small sign on it reading Shale Hill.

Arnel Banawa of OCRTUBE captured the essence of Shale Hill in his latest video. Shale Hill is a permanent obstacle course located in Benson, Vermont. This beautiful farm boasts over 160 acres of land which has been turned into a world-class obstacle course. Over the weekend, Banawa captured the 8-hour Polar Bear Obstacle Challenge showcasing this New England favorite.

Shale Hill Adventure consistently known as one of the being a hidden gem of OCR has their annual 24-hours of Shale Hell coming up soon. One lap on this course is enough for most but those looking to take it further can challenge themselves with up to 24-hours of running and hundreds of obstacles, on August 6-7 starting at 10am. If 24-hours of continuous obstacles are a bit extreme Shale Hill Adventure also offers what "mini-hell" with a 5k, 10k, and 8-hour running options starting on Saturday, August 6.

Recently, Shale Hill owners announced they would be selling their beloved permanent obstacle racing course and training facility in Benson, Vermont on Facebook. Since the announcement the OCR community has buzzed with theories as to why both Rob and Jill Butler are selling their critically acclaimed course.

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Dryrobe is a UK based company. Surfer Gideon Bright from North Devon UK, took his 30 years as a surfer and created a cover-up to change in parking lots and other public places. Quickly after the initial designs DryRobe picked up traction with those in the triathlon world and most recently in the obstacle racing world.

Shale Hill Obstacle Race Training Center in Benson, Vermont is infamous among many obstacle racers. It has been called obstacle racing's "Field of Dreams". The permanent obstacle course sits on the over 100-acre farm of Rob Butler.

The course was both amazing and brutal and beat me up but I was glad I went. It’s not often that I have completed a course and felt like I did after Shale Hill, if you can dominate the Shale Hill course, then you can probably conquer almost any other OCR course in America! The course is the best I have run to date.

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Mud Run Guide

Welcome to Mud Run Guide - the worldwide leader in mud runs, obstacle course races, and outdoor running adventures. Established in 2012, our focus is to provide you with the best events, discounts, news, reviews, gear, and training for the sport of OCR.